A letter from resident groups of the inner west
Say NO to West Gate Tunnel – rally for a sustainable Melbourne at Brooklyn, December 2017
Originally published in The Westsider: A letter from resident groups of the inner west – The inner west does not need or want the West Gate Tunnel project (May 2018)
It’s been widely claimed by the government and the press that the west supports the West Gate Tunnel Project. This is not accurate. A small section of one suburb, and one action group support it and even they have serious reservations about it. The rest do not. Community members of the Community Liaison Group made clear to Western Distributor Authority in December 2017 that considerable unresolved issues remained in the project. The City of Melbourne is opposed to the project and the City of Hobsons Bay has flipped flopped over the issues in the face of staunch opposition from its residents. Academics have published a highly critical report and significant professional planning groups have written to government with their concerns about governance and design.
But still the government has continued to proceed and get signed agreements with TransUrban, pushed through gazetting of planning scheme amendments and commenced construction in the knowledge that the community do not support it and the Legislative Council has the numbers to revoke approvals and halt work. The government has used paid advertisements from big companies and the website and press releases of one community organisation to justify it in the Parliament. This is brinkmanship, not good governance.
West Gate Tunnel EES released for public comment
Thirty days, yes, thirty short days to respond to 10,000 pages of the West Gate Tunnel Environmental Effects Statement!
From Colleen Hartland, MP: thetollroadwontwork.org.au
The West Gate Tunnel Environmental Effects Statement was released on 29 May 2017, and the government is giving the community until 10 July to respond. There are literally thousands of pages of documents, and we are working hard to summarise these for you!
It’s really important that the community has their say on this toll road which will have a dramatic impact on our neighbourhood. You don’t need to be an expert and it doesn’t have to be long. We’ll be putting the summarised documents up on the site soon.
West Gate Tunnel Project information, submissions & EES
West Gate Tunnel Environmental Effects Statement
West Gate Tunnel Project Inquiry and Advisory Committee
WestConnex work puts public at risk in St Peters
When you believe you’re seen enough rank stupidity, here’s an amazingly idiotic example of rank stupidity courtesy of WestConnex which places the public at risk in Sydney.
